Patrick was born in Beloit, Wisconsin[6] on March 25, 1982, the daughter of Beverly Ann (née Flaten) and Terry Joseph Patrick Jr.[7] Her mother's family is of entirely Norwegian descent.[8] She grew up in nearby Roscoe, Illinois. Her parents met on a blind date at a snowmobile event in the 1970s when Bev was a mechanic for a friend's snowmobile.[9][10] T. J. raced snowmobiles, motocross, and midget cars. They have owned a Java Hut and a plate glass company. Patrick has a younger sister named Brooke.[11]

Patrick was a cheerleader at Hononegah Community High School in Rockton, Illinois, in 1996 and spent her off-time babysitting for a family down the road when she was not racing.[12] She dropped out of high school and obtained a GED certification.[13] Her father, T. J., helps his daughter by driving her motor coach and managing her Web site and merchandise trailer, while her mother, Bev, handles Patrick's business affairs.[14]

After attending the Women in the Winner's Circle Driver Development Academy, she was a guest of Lyn St. James at the 1997 Indianapolis 500 and was introduced to John Mecom Jr., a former winning Indy 500 team owner, who began following her career and arranged for her to go to the U.K. to race Formula Fords.[16]

At the age of 16 she moved to Milton Keynes, England, in order to advance her racing career,[17] racing in British national series events against drivers including future Formula One world champion Jenson Button. Being both American and female, Patrick was met with much opposition, but this experience helped her develop a stronger sense of independence and learn how to overcome adversity.[18] During this three-year period she raced in Formula Ford, Formula Vauxhall and earned a second-place in Britain's Formula Ford Festival, the highest finish by an American in the event.[19]

After the 2004 racing season, Rahal Letterman Racing officially announced that Patrick would drive in the IRLIndyCar Series for 2005.[21]

On May 29, 2005, Patrick became the fourth woman to compete in the Indianapolis 500, following Janet Guthrie, Lyn St. James and Sarah Fisher. As of 2012, Patrick joins Guthrie as one of only two women to have competed in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500. After posting the fastest practice speed of the month (229.880 mph / 369.956 km/h) during the morning practice session on the first day of qualifications (May 15), she made an error in the first turn of her first qualifying lap, and failed to capture the pole position, which went to Tony Kanaan. Patrick's fourth starting position, however, was the highest ever attained for the race by a female driver.[22]

Patrick became the first female driver to lead the race at Indianapolis, first when acquiring it for a lap near the 125-mile (201 km) mark while cycling through pit stops, and late in the race when she stayed out one lap longer than her rivals during a set of green-flag pit stops. Patrick overcame two crucial errors to finish fourth, the same position she started in. Patrick's car stalled in the pits about halfway through the 500-mile (800 km) race, dropping her to the middle of the field; and shortly after reclaiming a spot in the top 10, Patrick spun on a caution period just before an intended green flag leading to a four car accident. The accident caused damage to Patrick's car that was limited to the nose and front wing. Her pit crew promptly made repairs, and due to the subsequent yellow, Patrick was able to rejoin the field, losing only one position. When the leaders pitted for fuel on lap 172, Patrick stayed out to take the lead. On lap 194, eventual race winner and 2005 series champion Dan Wheldon passed her as she was forced to slow in order to conserve fuel. Patrick was subsequently passed by both Bryan Herta and her teammate Vitor Meira. Patrick's fourth place was the highest ever finish for a female driver at the Indy 500, besting the previous record of ninth set by Janet Guthrie in 1977. Patrick led 19 laps overall.[23]

On July 2, 2005, Patrick won her first pole position, leading a 1–2–3 sweep by Rahal Letterman Racing at Kansas Speedway. She became the second woman to accomplish this feat in the IndyCar Series, the first being Sarah Fisher in 2002 at Kentucky Speedway. On August 13, 2005, she won her second pole at Kentucky Speedway, although this time, rain prematurely ended qualifying and position was determined by speeds achieved during practice. She took a third pole at Chicagoland Speedway which tied her with Tomas Scheckter's record for number of pole positions earned in a rookie season.[24]

During the offseason following the 2005 racing year, Patrick competed in the Rolex 24 at Daytona along with Rusty Wallace in January 2006. The car did not finish and they ended the race in 50th place.[25]Robby Gordon has claimed that Patrick's comparatively low body weight constitutes unfair competition due to the inverse proportionality of the combined mass of a car and its driver, and its maximum velocity.[26]

At the Indy 500, Patrick started eighth and finished eighth. After Watkins Glen, RLR switched to the Dallarachassis and the team struggled to adapt. Patrick struggled to remain competitive, but her fourth-place finishes at Nashville and Milwaukee tied her career best IndyCar finishes. At Michigan, Patrick's car ran out of fuel with three laps to go and she fell to 17th. She rebounded at Kentucky and Infineon to finish 8th in both races.[27][28]

In her final race with RLR at Chicagoland, Patrick recorded a 12th-place finish and a 9th-place finish in the IndyCar Series Championship point standings, besting her 12th-place points finish as a rookie.[citation needed]

In November, the March of Dimes awarded her the title of Sportswoman of the Year in celebration of her dedication and success.[29]

At Belle Isle, Patrick started 11th and was involved in two accidents from which she was able to restart without damage. She eventually drove to the front and lead 9 laps of the race before falling back after having to pit. On the final lap, while Patrick was running in 5th, Buddy Rice, Scott Dixon and teammate Dario Franchitti were involved in an accident immediately in front of her. Patrick was able to avoid the crash and finish in second place, which was a career high in the IndyCar Series and tied her with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing driver Sarah Fisher for best finish in IndyCar racing by a female.[citation needed]

At the season finale in Chicagoland Speedway, Patrick ran most of the race in the top 6 but had to make a pit stop for fuel with 7 laps to go. When entering the pit lane, Patrick spun but avoided damage to her car. Patrick was able to restart the engine with assistance from her pit crew, make a complete pit stop and re-enter the race. She finished 11th overall.[citation needed]

For the 2007 season as a whole, Patrick scored her first three career podium finishes to finish with 4 top 5's and 11 top 10's while leading 17 laps on the season. She also scored her career best championship points finish of 7th with 424 points.[citation needed]

Patrick won at Twin Ring Motegi in the Indy Japan 300 on April 20, 2008, becoming the first woman to win an IndyCar race,[33] joining the ranks of drag racer Shirley Muldowney, who won three NHRA Top Fuel Championships,[34] as a "first female" winner in the top tier of American motorsports. Patrick took the win after the race leaders were forced to pit for fuel in the final laps. She finished 5.8594 seconds ahead of pole-sitter Hélio Castroneves.

Her team owner, Michael Andretti, commented, "I'm thrilled for her that the monkey is finally off of her back."[35]

A mechanical problem late in the race RoadRunner Turbo 300 at Kansas Speedway forced Patrick to retire early from the race.

During practice for the 2008 Indianapolis 500, Patrick's car struck a member of Dale Coyne Racing's pit crew when she came into the pits on May 9. During the Indianapolis 500 on May 25, 2008, she retired from the race early after a collision in the pitlane. As Ryan Briscoe exited his pitbox, the two cars collided, damaging Patrick's left rear suspension and eliminating both from the race. After being pushed back to her own pit, Patrick left her car and headed down pit road towards Briscoe's pit at which point IMS security intervened, preventing an on-track confrontation. Patrick and Briscoe were called to the IndyCar hauler, where they were fined $100,000 and placed them on probation after the 2008 season.[36]

Following Indy, Patrick finished 9th at Milwaukee and 10th at Texas, with both races ending under yellow flag conditions. At Iowa and Richmond, she stayed out of the many crashes during these races. At Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, she had an incident with Milka Duno in practice. Patrick walked to Duno's pits and confronted her before walking away. She finished 6th in each event.

Overall, she finished the 2008 IndyCar Series season in sixth place — the highest championship finish among American drivers for the 2008 season.

On May 24, Patrick raced at the Indianapolis 500. She finished third behind winner Hélio Castroneves and second-place Dan Wheldon.[38][39] It was her best finish in five attempts, one spot better than her 2005 finish, and a new record high finish for a female driver in the race. The following weekend in Milwaukee Patrick raced to 5th position at the flag. On June 6, she finished the Bombardier Learjet 550 in 6th place, dropping her to fifth place in the IndyCar Series point standings.

Patrick began the season with the Motorola sponsorship from her previous two seasons with AGR; however, her car was rebranded for Boost Mobile following the Kansas race. The changes were made public with a drive down the tarmac at the Indianapolis International Airport.[40]

In what was a difficult Honda Indy Toronto qualifying and practice for the entire Andretti Green team, Patrick started the race in the 18th position (her teammates also starting in the rear of the field in 17th, 20th, and 22nd). Patrick had the best finish of the Andretti Green team moving up 12 positions to finish 6th, putting her only three points behind Castroneves for the 4th position in the 2009 points championship.

Patrick finished the season 5th overall in the point standings, her highest finish to date. This 5th-place finish was not only the highest of any of the Andretti Green Racing drivers, but of any non-Penske or Ganassi driver for the 2009 season.[41] It was also the highest finish by an American driver in 2009.

The 2010 Indianapolis 500 got off to a rough start for Patrick when difficulties with the car setup led her to publicly removing blame from herself for poor qualifying results. Her comments that the car was "absolutely awful" and that "it's not my fault," led the crowd to boo Patrick loudly as they took it as her blaming her team and not taking any responsibility for a disappointing session.[44] Patrick was also booed during driver intros.[45] Despite starting in 23rd position, Patrick moved up 17 positions to finish in 6th.

Patrick's car at Indianapolis in May 2010.

Patrick's top finishes of the season came at Texas and Homestead-Miami. She finished in 2nd place in both races, making it the first season since 2007 in which she had placed on the podium in multiple races during a season. She finished 10th in the championship points for the season, moving just 6 points ahead of Justin Wilson during the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

During the 2010 season, Patrick set the Indycar Series record for consecutive races finished running, having finished every race of the 2010 season as well as all but the first race of the 2009 season, for a total of 33 races.[46]

The 2010 season would also see Patrick participating in the Drive4COPD campaign along with Patty Loveless, Bruce Jenner, Michael Strahan, and Jim Belushi. The team is working as part of a multi-year initiative to bring awareness of the dangers of COPD (which includes Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema), the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S. today.[47]

On May 21, due to unexplainable team-wide flaws with the cars, Patrick, along with the rest of her full-time teammates would fail to qualify for the 2011 Indianapolis 500, forcing them all to have to attempt to qualify on the following day for the last nine positions in the race. Despite being one of the fastest in the following morning's practice, when it came time for qualifying, her car failed tech, and she was thus placed in the back of the qualifying line. She would almost be denied an opportunity for a qualifying attempt because it started to rain. The rain stopped just in time for her to make a qualifying effort that put her safely in the race, qualifying 26th.

On the day of the race, May 29, she would start in 25th because of Ryan Hunter-Reay being reinstated into the race and starting in the back of the field. Despite strong showings in a car she was struggling with getting speed out of throughout the race and eventually taking the lead, she began to run out of fuel and this would cost her the win, causing her to finish 10th.

Ongoing handling issues with her race car would follow Patrick to her next race at Texas Motor Speedway for the Firestone Twin 275's: a set of two individual races that took place the same night. She started 10th in the first race but finished 16th. The second race starting grid was determined by a drawing. The results of the drawing would have her start 20th, but she would overtake several cars early on in the race and would actually end up finishing 8th.

Her next race at the Milwaukee Mile saw her starting 15th and finishing 5th after climbing 10 positions, her first top 5 finish of the season. Her next race was the Iowa Corn Indy 250 night race. Despite a successful qualifying run, starting 2nd, things took a severe turn for the worse when handling problems showed up at the final practice just prior to the race. As a result, Patrick lost positions very quickly in the opening laps and spent most of the time mid-pack, hardly passing anyone, however, was able to hold her position somewhat, and made a few passes late in the race, finishing 10th.

At the Edmonton Indy she managed to finish 9th after starting 22nd, her best ever result on the City Centre Airport. Because this was the year of the 2011 IndyCar World Championships tragedy that claimed Dan Wheldon's life, Kentucky was the last race in which Patrick was able to edge out Helio Castroneves for 10th in the points championship. She was one of just 19 cars that escaped the 15-car-wreck in that race. Patrick announced that she would no longer be driving full-time in the IndyCar Series after this season and would focus her full attention to driving stock cars in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Patrick drove a part-time schedule in the NASCARNationwide Series for JR Motorsports and sponsor GoDaddy.com.[51] She made her series debut at Daytona on February 13, 2010, which ended when Patrick was caught up in a 12-car accident off turn 4 on lap 68 (Patrick's team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. flipped over in a violent crash on the back straightaway on lap 92 of the same race after contact from Brad Keselowski). She started 15th and finished 35th. Patrick started her second Nationwide race on February 20 in the Stater Brothers 300 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California from 36th place and finished in 31st place in the JR Motorsports Chevrolet. She did not qualify for the race on speed but invoked a provisional to make the grid. In her third Nationwide race, Patrick finished 36th when she crashed into Michael McDowell, her 2nd DNF in 3 races. Her next Nationwide race in June resulted in a 30th-place finish. At the Chicagoland race she finished 24th, two laps down.[52] At the final race on November 20, Patrick set her best 2010 Nationwide Series result, finishing 19th in the Ford 300 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida. After making 13 Nationwide Series starts, Patrick finished the season 43rd overall in the point standings.

Patrick and her sponsor GoDaddy.com announced on August 25, 2011 that Patrick would be leaving the IndyCar Series to compete in the Nationwide Series full-time for JR Motorsports in 2012, as teammate to Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Cole Whitt. On March 5, 2011, Patrick finished 4th in the Sam's Town 300 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and becoming the highest-finishing female driver in NASCAR history. Patrick mentioned in the post-race interview that her goal was to get a top 10 finish.[53] On July 7, Patrick finished 10th in the Subway Jalapeño 250 at Daytona after leading a total of 13 laps during the race before being involved in an incident coming to the checkered flag on the last lap of the race.

In 2012, she won the pole for the DRIVE4COPD 300 in February, only the second woman to do so in NASCAR history, the first being Shawna Robinson in a Busch Series event in 1994.[54] Patrick closed out her first full-time season with one pole, four top 10's, and a 10th place points position.[citation needed]

On November 4, 2011, in a press conference at Texas Motor Speedway, it was revealed that Patrick would be driving the No. 10 (Robby Gordon would not give up ownership of the No. 7) car for Tommy Baldwin Racing, in an alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing, sharing the car with David Reutimann. For Patrick's starts, the team would utilize Hendrick engines, while using both ECR and Pro Motor engines for Reutimann. In addition, Tony Stewart's former Joe Gibbs Racing crew chief Greg Zipadelli was announced as crew chief for Patrick's Cup Series starts, however TBR owner Tommy Baldwin Jr. ended up serving as Patrick's crew chief for multiple races. Patrick was guaranteed a spot at the Daytona 500 because TBR moved its top-35 owner points from the No. 36 driven by Dave Blaney to the new No. 10.

In her fourth Cup start, the 2012 Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol, Patrick was running strong before she was crashed on lap 436 by Regan Smith. She responded by wagging her finger at Smith as he drove by under caution. The incident was ranked among Sports Illustrated's top 50 sports moment photos for 2012,[57] overshadowing an earlier incident on lap 333 when Tony Stewart had thrown his helmet at Matt Kenseth's hood. Patrick finished 29th in this race and at the AdvoCare 500 the following week at Atlanta. She finished in 25th place at Chicagoland, and 28th at Dover. At Kansas, Patrick finished in 32nd place after trying to wreck Landon Cassill in Turn 2 on Lap 156, but ended up wrecking herself instead. At the 2012 AAA Texas 500 at Texas, she had her first lead lap finish, finishing 24th, last car on the lead lap.

The following week at Phoenix, during a green-white-checkered finish caused by Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer's wreck, Jeff Burton sent Patrick into the wall in turn 3. Controversy ensued because despite her wrecked car leaking oil as it limped around the track, NASCAR refused to throw a caution flag. As a result, when the field came around for the checkered flag, a crash occurred as Greg Biffle tried to squeeze between Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman, causing those two cars to hit the wall, starting a wreck also involving eventual series champion Brad Keselowski, Mark Martin, and Paul Menard. The rear end of Patrick's car was jacked into the air as Kurt Busch and Paul Menard slipped and collided with her. Race winner Kevin Harvick's owner Richard Childress was upset with NASCAR's decision not to throw the caution for Patrick's wrecked car, saying, "I'm really disappointed in the way the race was called. Kevin almost wrecked coming off of 4 [on the final lap]. We take the white flag, she's coming down there, everybody could see what was happening. I just knew the caution was going to come out. And he [Harvick] races back around and almost wrecks and we lose a car [Paul Menard's] and could have hurt a driver. So I'm just still a little upset about that last [lap] not being run under caution."[58]

This section needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(February 2014)

In 2013, Patrick moved to Stewart-Haas full-time, keeping the No. 10 and full-time Go-Daddy sponsorship. 2013 started off on a high note for Patrick, as she won the pole position for the Daytona 500 with a qualifying time of 45.817 seconds (196.434 miles per hour (316.130 km/h)).[59] Patrick became the first woman to ever win a pole in a Sprint Cup race.

On February 24, Patrick became the first female driver in history to lead a green flag lap at the Daytona 500, taking the lead on lap 90 temporarily from Matt Kenseth, and later leading a few laps during green flag pit stops on lap 127.[60] She was in the top-ten most of the day. At the white flag, she was in third place behind Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle. Heading down the back straightaway on the last lap, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin made a move on the inside lane, causing Biffle and Patrick to drift back while Johnson won the race. Patrick finished eighth, however, which makes her currently the highest placing female driver in the race's 55-year history.[61]

At Phoenix, Patrick was running strong until lap 185, when she cut a tire in turn 4. After striking the SAFER barrier and bouncing off it, she was struck again by David Ragan. She finished 38th.[62]

At Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Patrick ran in the back of the pack most of the race and ended up 33rd.

During the Food City 500, her bad luck continued as she had several car issues during the race and finished 28th. She finished 25th the following week at Fontana.

At Martinsville, Patrick made a rebound. She qualified 32nd, but due to an engine change, she was forced to start at the rear of the field. In the first part of the race, she was spun by Ken Schrader on lap 15. After struggling for most of the race, Patrick used a wave-around to get back on the lead lap. Despite being at the back of the lead lap afterwards, and an incident late-race where she made contact with Dale Earnhardt Jr. that caused Earnhardt to spin, she finished 12th.

At Texas, Kansas, and Richmond, Patrick again fell back in the pack, finishing off the lead lap in all three cases.

At the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Patrick was not entered but participated in the Sprint Showdown, a race for those who did not win in previous races from the 2012 Coca Cola 600 to 2013 Bojangles' Southern 500 or past winners of the All-Star Race. The Showdown was won by Jamie McMurray and second place went to Ricky Stenhouse Jr. who both advanced into the All-Star Race. Patrick finished ninth, but Patrick would also eventually advance into the All Star Race by virtue of the Fan Vote.[63] Much like McMurray and Stenhouse, Patrick completed over 100 laps to finish 20th in her first All-Star Race. She went on to finish 27th in the final standings. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the Rookie of the Year award, though.

Patrick's Speedweeks in 2014 greatly contrasted from the previous year. Although her pole from the previous year's Daytona 500 put her in the Sprint Unlimited, she was part of a crash on lap 35 which saw her spin out as she tried to avoid a wrecking group of cars in the tri-oval that included Patrick's teammates Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, and Kevin Harvick, as well as others like Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon. Just as Patrick straightened out her car, Stenhouse, who had lost his brakes, t-boned her in the driver's side, ripping the door panel off her car and spraying the underlying safety foam blocks all across the track.[64] In Daytona 500 practice, Patrick and Stewart both blew engines. This saw both drivers have to change engines and start from the rear of the field both for the Budweiser Duels and the Daytona 500.[65]

In the Daytona 500, Patrick started 27th. During the first 40 laps, she was one of several drivers to hang in the back of the field. After the six-hour rain delay, Patrick moved to the front, even taking the lead on lap 85 for two laps during a cycle of green flag pit stops. However, on lap 145, Patrick was running mid-pack when contact between Kevin Harvick and Brian Scott got Aric Almirola loose on the front straightaway, sending Almirola into Patrick and Austin Dillon. Patrick's car hit the trioval outside wall at a point where there was not a SAFER barrier, leaving her with a 40th-place finish.[66]

At Martinsville, Patrick qualified in tenth with a lap speed of 98.165 mph (157.981 km/h) and time of 19.290 seconds. The tenth place starting spot was her best at a non-restrictor plate track.[67] However, her handling went away and Patrick finished 32nd, six laps down.

At Talladega, Patrick had her second-best qualifying effort of seventh. She led six laps early (making her the first woman to pace the field at Talladega; and matching the number of laps Patrick led in the 2013 Daytona 500), before fading back to finish 22nd, her first lead-lap finish at Talladega (as the May 2013 race had ended in a crash on lap 182, and she ended up off the lead lap in the October race due to speeding on pit road).[68] Her finish of 22nd place was also the best finish ever by a woman at Talladega.[68] At Kansas the following week, Patrick ran as high as third, battling Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Joey Logano and others for positions inside the top-ten, and finished a career-best seventh, one position better than her 2013 Daytona 500 finish.[69]

In qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600, Patrick was the fastest in the second round with a lap speed of 194.595 mph (313.170 km/h), and qualified in fourth, the best by a woman at an unrestricted track.[70] However, her engine blew up and left her with a 39th-place finish.

Returning to Daytona, Patrick avoided a multi car crash and finished eighth in the rain-shortened Coke Zero 400, which tied her best Daytona finish that she had in the 2013 Daytona 500.

At Atlanta, Patrick attained a career-best finish of sixth, one place better than at Kansas. Patrick became the second woman to earn a top ten at Atlanta Motor Speedway beating Janet Guthrie who had a tenth-place finish at Atlanta in 1978, and tied Janet Guthrie's best finish for a woman in modern era for a woman on NASCAR's top circuit.

At the end of the 2014 Cup season, she finished at 28th in the points standing, one position down from the previous year, although she finished with 89 more points than her rookie season. She also had an average finish of 23.7, 2.4 positions better than her rookie year.[71]

Patrick started off Speedweeks by finishing 10th at the Sprint Unlimited and avoided one wreck. While practicing in the 3rd practice section, she got turned around by Denny Hamlin and spun out. The damage was enough to send her to a backup car for the Budweiser Duel. At the 2nd Budweiser Duel, she spun out again from a bump from Denny Hamlin again with three laps to go, but was able to make a last lap charge with help from Kurt Busch to finish 10th, resulting in a 20th place starting spot. She confronted Hamlin after the race. At the Daytona 500, she finished 21st.

At Martinsville, Patrick was competitive all day and had a top ten finish of seventh; Patrick tied Janet Guthrie for most top 10s by a female in Sprint Cup Series history.[72] At Bristol, Patrick had a finish of ninth, in which she surpassed Janet Guthrie for the most top 10's by a female in Sprint Cup Series history.

In April, GoDaddy announced they would not renew sponsorship with Patrick's car, which ended after the 2015 season.[73]

Patrick racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2015

At Michigan, Patrick stayed out and led two laps under green flag pit stops and the first time she had led a race all season and first time on a non-restrictor plate track in Cup race to lead. She went on to finish 16th. At Kentucky, Patrick made her 100th Cup start which is the first time a woman in the Cup Series has made 100 starts. At Pocono, Patrick led five laps under green flag pit stops, and had a 16th-place finish her best at Pocono.

At Martinsville in autumn, Patrick was involved in an early collision with David Gilliland. While running a few laps down following the collision, Patrick retaliated, hitting Gilliland, spinning both him and herself out. After the race, Patrick was fined $50,000, stripped of 50 owner and driver points and put on probation until December 31.[citation needed]

With GoDaddy no longer a sponsor, Patrick and the No. 10 team acquired a 20-race sponsorship deal with Nature's Bakery starting in 2016. She also signed a contract extension with Stewart-Haas Racing.[74] Patrick also switched crew chiefs from Daniel Knost to Billy Scott for 2016.[75]

In the Auto Club 400 at Fontana, Patrick was spun into the wall on lap 120 by Kasey Kahne. Unhappy with the move, Patrick exited her car, went near the track's apron and gestured at Kahne as he passed. She was fined $20,000 for the action.[76] At Talladega, Patrick was involved in a crash with Matt Kenseth; while Kenseth was sent airborne, Patrick collided with the inside wall at high speed, causing her car to catch fire. Patrick was taken to the infield care center for a chest x-ray and described the wreck as "the worst of her career".[77]

Patrick ended the 2016 season 24th in points and no top-tens; she also had a best finish of 11th at Charlotte's fall race and led a career-high 30 laps in 2016.[75]

On January 19, Nature's Bakery terminated its sponsorship of Patrick, citing inadequate social media promotion and the endorsement of a rival product.[78] Days later, Stewart-Haas Racing filed a $31 million breach-of-contract lawsuit for compensation for the 25 races that Nature's Bakery was scheduled to sponsor in 2017 and more in 2018.[79] The suit refuted both grounds upon which Nature's Bakery terminated the sponsorship and accused Nature's Bakery of plotting to avoid future payments and not having the resources to fulfill the demands of a primary sponsorship.[80] Patrick only had ten races sponsored in the 2017 season: three apeice from TaxAct and Code 3 Associates, and four from Aspen Dental.[81]

Patrick finished fourth at the Clash, her best result in NASCAR Cup Series. She resulted sixth in the Duels to start in sixth row at the Daytona 500. She finished the first stage in tenth place and the second stage in fifth place, but retired after getting involved in a Big One on lap 129.

Patrick was also involved in a wreck at Kansas Speedway when Joey Logano's brake rotor exploded and he collided with Patrick, sending both into the wall. Aric Almirola tried to avoid the wreck, and slammed into Logano, sending his car flying through the air. Almirola was airlifted to the hospital with a compression fracture of the T5 vertebra.[82] On May 28, Patrick stayed out during green flag pit stops and became the first woman to lead the Coca-Cola 600 for 7 laps, with leading the Coca-Cola 600 she has led the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500 joining an elite group of drivers to lead all three races in their career. On June 4, Patrick finished tenth at Dover, scoring her first top-ten finish in 77 races.[83]

On November 17, Patrick announced that she would step away from full-time racing after the season finale at Homestead-Miami, though she also announced plans to compete in the 2018 Daytona 500 and 2018 Indianapolis 500.[84]

Patrick was scheduled to test for Formula One team Honda in November 2008,[85] but this was called off due to the Honda team pulling out of the sport.[86] In late 2009, the American F1 team US F1 allegedly considered testing Patrick for a potential drive in 2010.[87] However, she stated that she was not contacted by anyone from the team, and that she had no plans to leave the IndyCar Series for Formula One at the time.[88] After the announcement of the return of Formula One to the United States in 2012, Formula One executive Bernie Ecclestone said that "to have someone like Danica Patrick in F1 would be a perfect advert."[89]

Following her IndyCar win at Twin Ring Motegi, Patrick was praised by many drivers, including Tony Stewart, who said "I think obviously she's got talent; she's been successful in every form of racing she's been in so far and I don't see why she wouldn't be successful here [in NASCAR]."[26]

Patrick was rated as one of the top 5 overrated athletes on May 16, 2014 by CBS New York.[90]

In May 2005, a day before the running of the 89th Indianapolis 500, Robby Gordon claimed that Patrick's comparatively low body weight (about 100 lbs. or 45 kg) constituted an unfair advantage.[91][92] However, Indy Racing League president Brian Barnhart later said Patrick's weight "had a virtually minimal effect on the competition."[91]

In June 2013, former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty called Patrick a "marketing machine" and asserted, "She's not a race car driver."[93] Patrick responded by saying "I really don't care," while other drivers came to her defense.[94][95] In February 2014, during an appearance at the 8th annual Canadian Motorsports Expo, Kyle's father, Richard Petty, also criticized Patrick for not winning races outright often enough.[96]

Patrick has hosted several TV shows on Spike TV, including "Powerblock", and she was featured in the 2005 documentary Girl Racers. On the August 23, 2007, episode of Diggnation, hosts Alex Albrecht and Kevin Rose shot live at Infineon Raceway, where they were treated to a lap around the track in the IndyCar Safety Car driven by Patrick. On April 24, 2008, Patrick was a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O'Brien on April 25, 2008.

Patrick was featured on the cover of the June 6, 2005, issue of Sports Illustrated,[100] making her the first Indianapolis 500 driver on the cover since Al Unser, in victory lane, following his upset fourth victory in 1987. After her participation in the 2005 Indianapolis 500, she was asked by Playboy to have her pictures taken to be published in a future edition of its magazine. She declined the offer, but she did participate in a "20 Questions" interview with Jason Buhrmester for the magazine's July 2007 issue.[101] She had also previously posed for FHM, appearing in the April 2003 issue. She was on the cover of the September/October 2006 issue of travelgirl magazine and the October 2006 issue of American Libraries. Patrick appears in the February 15, 2008, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She is featured in a four-page photo spread.[102]

In 2007, she was voted sexiest athlete in the Victoria's Secret "What is Sexy" list.[103] Patrick also was voted #42 in 2006 and #85 in 2007 in FHM's 100 sexiest women in the world.

Patrick made a second appearance in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in February 2009, posing with a Shelby Cobra 427.[105]

In October 2011, Patrick appeared on Cake Boss to order a special surprise cake for Michael Kalish, an established artist that created an art display called "24M", representing the 24 million people affected with COPD. The artwork consists of 24 giant pinwheels made from U.S. license plates. The custom cake designed by Buddy Valastro of Cake Boss included a racetrack with moving cars and pinwheels.

On February 21, 2015, Patrick was hired by Fox NASCAR as a booth analyst for Xfinity Series races. She commentated the race at Michigan.[106] In June 2017, Patrick joined Fox's Cup driver-only broadcast of the Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway, working in the studio alongside Denny Hamlin.[107]

Patrick was featured in an ESPN "This Is SportsCenter" commercial, which showed then-anchor Dan Patrick towing her IndyCar due to a reserved space misunderstanding (the space in question being reserved for "D. Patrick").[citation needed]

During testing at Phoenix International Raceway, GoDaddy.com filmed a commercial with Patrick that has also aired nationally. During the same test, at the invitation of GoDaddy, Patrick met with Paul Teutul, Sr., and Mikey Teutul, and subsequently appeared on an episode of American Chopper. Patrick was also in a 2008 "inspirational, feel-good" Go Daddy commercial called "Kart" that features a young girl who aspires to be like Patrick.[108] On February 1, 2009, Patrick appeared in two GoDaddy commercials advertised during Super Bowl XLIII. The Most Watched Super Bowl commercial of 2009, according to TiVo, was Patrick's "Enhancement" ad for GoDaddy.com.[109]

Patrick was shown in Marie Claire magazine's "The 8 Greatest Moments for Women in Sports".[115]

Patrick can be seen in award-winning corporate training videos Four Weeks In May and T.E.A.M.W.O.R.K.[116]

In May 2006, Patrick published her autobiography, Danica: Crossing the Line. In December 2016, she announced plans to release a second book, Pretty Intense, in January 2018.[117]

In 2016, Patrick filmed a Lyft promotion video where she picked up Lyft patrons in a car with hidden cameras and drove them to their destinations.[118]

For September 2016, Patrick was the spokesperson for Life Insurance Awareness Month, which is an awareness campaign sponsored by non-profit Life Happens.[119]

Patrick is passionate about health and fitness, integrating her passions into her work, partnering with Nature's Bakery[120] to promote health-conscious lifestyles and teaming up with Williams Sonoma to campaign for No Kid Hungry.[121]

In her spare time, Patrick enjoys doing yoga, cooking and experiencing new cultures and food through travel.[122] She also owns her own brand of wine, called Somnium, which means "dream" in Latin.[123]

Patrick married Paul Edward Hospenthal, who had previously been her physical therapist while she was recovering from a yoga injury.[125] She converted to Catholicism upon marrying Hospenthal in 2005.[126] In November 2012, Patrick announced on her Facebook page that after seven years of marriage, she and Hospenthal would be divorcing amicably.[127][128][129]

1 Rahal-Letterman Racing withdrew both Patrick and Buddy Rice from competition when their teammate Paul Dana was killed in a race-morning practice session accident.

2 Because of Reunification prior to the start of the 2008 IRL season, a compromise was established where teams were permitted to run either the Indy Japan 300 on April 20 with the IRL formula and rules or the Long Beach Grand Prix the same day with the old Champ Car formula and rules. Both races were for full IRL points.

^Hilary, Resteck; Casey, Schuster. "Danica Patrick"(PDF). Women in the Winner's Circle Foundation. Indiana University/Purdue University Public History Department. Archived from the original(PDF) on June 8, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2014.

^"Kyle Petty says Danica Patrick is "not a race car driver"". Yahoo! Sports. June 27, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2013. She’s not a race car driver. There’s a difference. The King (Richard Petty, Kyle's father) always had that stupid saying, but it’s true, ‘Lots of drivers can drive fast, but very few drivers can race.’ Danica has been the perfect example of somebody who can qualify better than what she runs. She can go fast, but she can’t race. I think she’s come a long way, but she’s still not a race car driver. And I don’t think she’s ever going to be a race car driver.